blackman



(No Model.)

H. BLACKMAN.

3 Sheets-'Sheet 1.

FURNAGB POR RBGOVBRING SODA.

Patented Apr. 1.1890.

WITNESSES;

wmdmmrr (No Model.) l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. BLACKMAN. PURNACE FOR REGQVERING SODA. No. 424,755. Patented Apr. 1, 1890.

INVENTOR:

`3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

H. BLACKMAN. 'FURNAOB PoR REGUVERING SODA.

No. 424,755. Patented Apr. l, 1890.

' To all whom t may concern:

@STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY .BLACKMAN, oF NEW YORK, N. Y.

i-'iinN.icE'Fon RECOVERING sooA.

SPECIFICATION. forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,755, dated April 1, 1890.

Aarau@ nea .my 11, 188s.'

sarai No. 279,605. (No model.)

Be it known that I, HENRY BLACKMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the .l city, county,--and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in' Furnaces for Evaporating and Calcining` Alkaline Solutions, duc., of which the followhorizontal section thereof.

ing is a specilication. ln the recovery of alkalies, lime, and other substances from solution it is customary to resort to calc ination in a furnace, in order to ei'rpel every particle of Water` and reduce the vsubstance to anhydrous condition. The calcining process h as an important. application in the reclaiming of soda or otherchemicals from the spent liquors of pulp-digesters. My invention provides an improved furnace and its accessories for use in that process of calcination in which the soda-liquor or other materialto .betreated is injected into the furnace through a blast-nozzle and by' means of a gaseous or vaporizedblast, so that itis subdivided or ato'n'iizedtuel,` in gaseous'or liquid form being simultaneously iiijected either through the same or a separate nozzle, in order that the atomized liquid shall mingle Within thev furnace with the burning fuelV and be subjected yto the most intense heatzresulting fromfthe combustion, sothat it is vapor-ized, and the Water or other volatile substance contained in the solution is'exp'elled, the soda or other refractory ingredient por' .iiigredients' of the solution falling. to the bottom of the furnace.

. process.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical longitudinal mid-section of my improved calcining apparatus in its preferredl f A' form. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereoflooking from the rear. Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof cut in the plane of the line 3 3 in Fig. 1, and looking from the front. Fig. 4 is v an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation of. the

concentrating-vessel, partly inls'ection, with a side elevation of the steam-valve controlled thereby, also partly in section. 5o

5 is an enlarged vertical mid-section of the com-.f

pound-injector through which the streams of ,alkaline solution, fuel, and air or steam l are injected ipto the furnace. Fig. 6 is afrag- ,mentar'y vertical section of the rear end of the Vfurnace shown in Fig. 1, provided with a modified construction of injector. Fig. 7 is avertical longitudinal mid-section of a lmodiiedconstruction of furnace, Aand Fig. 8 isa p Fig. 9 shows a modification of Fig. 6.

I will rst describe the construction of fur` nace shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. Let A designate the furnace proper or combastion or calcining chamber, which 1s built of masonry by preference and of anysuitable dimensions and proportions and is provided with a stack or chimney B. Over the furnace is aY concentratingves sel C, which is built into and supported by the masonry,'the construction of the latter being such that a heating or reverberatory chamber D 4is formed over the arched roof of the furnace, into which chamber the vessel C projects, and

which chamber is heated from the furnace A by the passage of hot gases into it through openings a a, formed in the arched roof of the furnace. ./f'

The spent' liquor to be recovered, or other I solution to be treated, is contained in a vat or reservoir E, Fig. 1, from which it is forced by a steam-pump F into the vessel C, the liquid passing through a pipe b to the pump and "from the pump by a pipe b to the vesselC. The pump F is operated by steam taken from a pipe S, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, connected with a suitable steam-supply, and theflow of steam 4to the pump is governed by a valve c, which isopened and closed by the movement of a float G, Figs. 2 and 4,in the vessel C. When the liquid accumulates in the vessel C to so high a level as toraise the iioat G above lits normal position, the valve c is closed, thereby cutting oif the supply of steam to the pump F, and thereby stopping the pumping operation until by a fall in the level of liquid in mechanismv may be interposed between the iioat G and the valve c. The particular mechanismshown consists of an arm d, to which 'the vessel() the descent of the -float again opens the valve. Any suitable connecting IOO the 'float is fixed and which is fastened to a rock-shaft @,Whicli passes out through a stu.

l ing-box at the end ofthe vessel C and hasa The concentrating-vessel C, having been filled with the spent liquor or 'solution from the tank E, as described, is heated by the circulation in, the chamber D of the hot gases xo from the furnace, and thereby serves to evapcrate the Water from the liquor. The vaporsl Vdisengagedin this vessel are preferably drawn oif by an air-pump after the method common in vacuum-pans. For this purpose I provide a condenser H and. an air-pump I, communieating with the vessel C through the medium of a suctionpipe J, in which is a valve' J. By opening this valve and setting the pump and condenser' in operation in' the manner 2o Well known to those familiar with vacuum-` pans the vapors disengaged in the vessel C are continuously drawn therefrom anda partial vacuum is maintained therein. Thus the concentration 0f the liquor is facilitated.y l Inorderto prevent the caking or incrustation qu the interior of 'the Wallsof the Vessel C of alkaline or other matters' precipitated from the liquor during concentration, I pro- .vide a stirring o'r scraping device consisting 3o of a blade K, arranged spirally within the vessel C and mounted on arms Aprojecting from a rotary shaft K', ymounted in .bearings concentrieally within the.J vessel and passing out through a stuffing-box at one end thereof,

y where it is provided with a pulley through which to transmit movementto-it. The blade KV is arranged to scrape against the inner surface of the Wall or shell of the vessel C as it is carried around by the rotation of the shaft 4o' K, thus continuously scraping off any accumulation of solid matter-that may form. This rotary blade also acts to agitate the liquid and keep it continually stirred up and to prevent the formation of precipitate.' l 45 When the mass of solution in the concentrating-vessel C has been reduced to the requisit'e density, the vacuum-valveJ may beclosed and the operation of the pump and condenser discontinued, in order to restore pressure or even Iif desired to accumulate a pressure thereinup to any preferred degree. The limitI of this pressure will be determined by a' safety-valve, such as the .one'shown at 5 5 g in Fig.1. The calcining operatioirrnay then be commenced., The solution passes out of and pipez to the injector L. The :outflow of the solution is regulated by the valve h, which 6o receives motion from the float G, its stem h beingA jointed to the lever d of the iioat. Thus the descent of the float G closes the valve h and shuts oif the outflow, while the ascent of the ioat opens the valve; and aEords a free 6.5 outflow. The obj ect of this construction is to keep the llquld in the vessel `C at a level suf# l iielent to protect it-s sides from burning'out.

`It-is important,`.howevor, that there This automatic outlet is chiefly useful in case of a continuous concentrating operation when theliquor enters the vessel C at one end andv 7o4 is concentrated during its ow through the latter an'd passes out at the opposite end. Foran intermittent concentrating operation it may be dispensed With.v r l The injector L is best shown in Fig. 5. It 75 consists of a-shell constructed in as many sections as may be convenient and formed internally with nozzles, through which the Astreams of alkaline solution, fuel, and air or steam may enter. The alkaline solution en- 8o ters through the pipe il and its iow is governed by a valve 'i'. The fuel, .which I will assume to be natural gas, enters by the pipe j, and its flow is controlled by the valve j. The air or steam enters by the pipe k and is governed by the valve Za. I have shownthe injector as provided with a long nozzle l, through 'which the steam Vor air entering by the pipe lo is injected, and with vanannular nozzle fm, formed around this nozzle Z and 9othrough which the gaseous fuel is discharged; and I have shown a passage for the admission v of the alkaline solution, extending around 1 .the tip of this annularnozzle, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 5. The injector-nozzles arecoupled to atube or tuyere fn, which is bedded p'ermanently in the front wall of the furnace.`

The operation o f the injector will vary ac- 5 c ording to circumstances. In. case natural gas is used and is supplied at a highpressure, rco the gas may be introduced either through pipe j, as described, or through pipe 7c, as pre ferred; andthe force of the blast of gas will be sufficient to 'draw in the alkaline solution vthrough the pipe fi, and also to draw in any desired proportion of air through the pipe. k or j, as the case may be; or air may be admitted and mixed with the gas before the lat- -t'er is introduced tothe injector, in which case it will not ordinarily be necessary to introduce 1 l1o air into the injector. Whenever the pressure of gas is insufficient to provide the motive power for forcing the requisite blast into the, furnace, steam or compressed air will be intro#v duced through the pipe la, (orj, if preferred,) the I 1 5 pressure of the steam or air being sufficiently 5o the contents of the vesselC to the normal high to produce as forcible a blast as may be required. If steam is used, it is preferablethat it be superheated. If the alkaline lsolution 1 is under pressure inthe vessel C, this pressrzo. ure will aid in giving force to the blast, and

it is possible this solutionto enable 'it to contribute very the concentrating-'vessel C-througha valve h,

to apply a sufficient pressure. to

largely to the force with which it is injected.

shall be a sufficiently-powerful blast of gas orair or steam -to minutely subdivide the alkaline so'- lution, in order that it shall enter the furnace in the form of spray like that delivered from The preferred method of working is to simultancously inject Vgas and air one or theother of `which shpuld be under high pressure,

` in order to effect the requisite atomization of take place.

the alkaline solution. tionsof'air, gas, and solution 'that are admitted Will be determined by the valves j', k', j

and t", respectively. The'l proper conditions and proportions being found and maintained, a powerful blast of com mingled air, gas, and solution will be projected into the furnace and Will traverse the furnace in the direction of its length, in order to afford asufcientlylong time'for the act-ioniupon the solution vto upon its entrance into the furnace, and the vthe soda vor j 25 if it has not already intense heat caused by the combustion of the gas causes-it to volatilize thewater contained in the solution and c'onvert it into steam, and thereby to separate it and also to simultanethe other volatile contile and non-combustible or 'refractory c011- stituentsthereofsuch, for example, in thecase of an `alkaline solution,'as the soda or.

potash. The

intense heat also burns up all the combustible impurities,

potash vsubstantially pure. The

alkaline matter as it is thus recovered from the solution drops inthe form of 'flakes or tine particles to the floor or hearth of the furnace, and been Wholly deprived of moisture its teatment is completed While lying upon the hearth bythe expulsion from itof all moisture, owing to the intense heat emanating from the iiames playing above it, Wherebyitis rendered completely anhydrous. has continued long When the operation suitable quantity of enough to accumulate a ,calcining'alkali -upon the hearth of the fur nace, the'injection-maybe discontinued and from the furnace by opening the doors B E*V in the sides thereof, through Which` it maybe shoveled out; or the material may be removed from time to time or continuously during the operation ofthe furnace 4and Withoutnsuspending the injec- Vtion by opening thelovver doorsr only, which are beneath the leveltojyvhich themass has accumulated, andshoveling or raking out the the material-130111 the bQftpmof the pile.

avoid opening the.v vside to admitcold airintothe fu rnace'during'the calc iningvoperation, as there# by the temperature lwould be considerably levenden@ the operation proportionally ref aided r. Y x Bythe s imultaneousinjection of `the solu Ytion to be treated and .the fuel the tvvo are intimately com mingled, and the solution, be-

ing fineiy'sub'diviued er atomizeu bymeinl jection, is subjected to the most intense hafr,

that is generated Within thefurnace, since it is carried along with .the` fuel, the combustion of which generates thek heat. By alsoinject- 'ing air to maintain neously with thefuel and the solution tobetreated the fuel is the cmbustioriisirnulta# caused to ignite instantly and to vburn lthroufeghoutth'e Whole o f the prejeeted blastA This injection of ain-however,- is notessential, as

The relative/propoi-,

`rllheblast is ignited instantlyl thereby leaving 'furnace through the dampers in theusual manner. I prefer, however, to introduce air dampers. To provide for'the latter admission, the `furnace is constructed with air-registers o `o, Fig. 2 in its front. It is also conalso -be provided with register-openings, but which are intended principally as a means for gaining access to the interior of the fl1rnace..

In order to ignite the injected blast and to maintain it ignited in casefrom' any cause-4- such, for example, as the momen'tary cessation` of pressure-it should become extinguished, I provide a supplemental injector M, arranged, preferably, beneath the injector L. "This injector M is fed with gas from a pipe p and with air or steam from a` pipe q, the ow beingcOntrOlIedby the valves p gf in the respective pipes. -The smaller blast from this injector meets the blast from the injector L when the" latter has passed some for the ignition thereof, but that it increases the heat to Which-the solution is subjected and in that it intercepts the 'falling Hakes of alkaline matterand advances their calcination.

also is useful-in be maintained in lthe solution against atmospheric pressure, tending to force it up through the pipe and back into Ithe vessel C. In the second case sel 'C and pipe 'L' will assist thev injection; lbut necessarily the evaporation in the vessel C Will be less rapid, and consequently the solution Will ordinarily be injectedto the furnace at a less density. In the third case 'the pressure Willassist the outiiow of the liquid to the injector, retard the concentrating operation.

ing' to the j udgmentof lthe operator and the jcharacter of the liquid being treated and other g varying conditions. If a higher pressureis -desifed in the vessel the retention of the disengaged vapor or steam therein, itmay batfa Tfrom". the pipe S through thecock r, Eig-1.

air maybe admittedto the they are caused to' thoroughly commingle in both by injection and by admitting it through y structed With front doors Af A', which'may and C than is producedby',

distance into the furnace and serves not only As before stated, rthe concentratingopera-- which case either, rst, a partial vacuum may In the first case the force of the blast through the injector L must be suicient to draw down IIO the weight of the column of liquid in the vesf but will still further Eithen of the-three methods may be adopted, accordned by admitting steam into the furnace, pro- 4j, A. "4a-:$35.5

v theblast within the furnace. Fig. 6 shows a furnace constructed for such operation. The

Y front of the furnace is provided with two injectors L and L'.' 'The injector L communicates with the-pipe i, through which'the solution passes, andthe pipe la, through which the steam enters, the force of the jetof steam serving' to draw in' the solution andfto'subdivide line solution become 'intimately commingled in .the combined blast. 'Gaseous fuel might y be admitted through the pipe j,or it might enter through the pipe q, and, if under suliicientpressure, might serve to draw in the air through the pipe j. -lf sufficient air tomain- -tain combustion is not admitted through one or the 'other-of'-theinjectors, itmust be: ad-

1 parts L and M as injectors Ilt will be understood, however, that it is not essential vto my invention that these parts should be mitted independently through@ da'mpers or registers. Y

L Figs. 7 and 8 show a furnace in which the combined blast .of fuel, solution, and airis superheated after leaving the combining-injector and before beingdischarged` into the furnace. vThis superheating iseifected by a coil P, suit-ably'arranged withinthe furnace, which connects at one end with'the-injector Land atthe other end terminates in a series of tuyeres or nozzles t t, which are best applied fin'a row tothe lastsectio of pipe P of the coil. The sprayed or subdivided liquid is carried through the coil of pipes by the blastof gas and air or steam at a highvelocity, and during .its passage is subjected to the heat of thefur- L page,

which is transmitted to it through the pipes,- and uponits emerging` at the tuyeres it it takes lire and burns beneath the coil of pipe P in a number of small jets ori blasts,

which are lej ected at high pressure, and'which,- merging-together, form a sheet of ame e'xtending longitudinally of the furnace and for nearly-or quite its entire length. The operation-is'precisely the same as in the construction first described, except that by reason of the supeheating of the blast the lcommingiingof the alkaline solution and the fuei and 'tionof salt from brine, Yin-recovering lime j air or steam is more intimately eifected, and the temperature` ofthe blast is raised so that the ignition of the fuel takes place instantly upon its admission to the furnace.

It is not strictly necessary to my invention 1 fbonate) from salt cake (sodium sulphate) by vthe Leblanc method my apparatus is also apln this case and in other instances that the alkaline solution and the fuel shall be actually commingled in the blast, as my invention' may be in part availed of by thel employment of two blastsone of the solution projected in a state of spray by means' of la powerful current of air or superheated i form, or, if solid, in z dition.

plicable 'to which my vmore substances mixed together are injected -into the furnace, and the heat effects a reacsteam andthe other of the fuel mixed with Mair to maintain combustion. The fuel-blast is preferably placed directly beneath the blast of the atomized liquid, so that the particles of liquid or of alkaline matterv falling from the: upper blast lwill be compelled to fall through the lower blast and be thereby subjected tothe most intense heat thereof, in order to eifect or complete the evaporating and calcining process.

Fig. 9 showsa construction for carrying out The liquid to be treated will enter through the pipe 1l and superheated steam through the pipe lc, or compressed air may be admitted through the latter pipe.

Fuel will enter through the pipe j and preferably compressed i air through the pipe g, although superheated steam might be substituted in thelatter pipe.

Preferably the nozzles shouldcthrow a blast in the form of a horizontal sheet, so that the upper-blast of atomized liquid will be projected over a continuous sheet of flame fed by the lower blast.

In this specilication l have lreferred to the injectors in the sense in which the term is mest commonly understood-viz., in that one i uid shall be drawn or forced in by the inductive effect of another iiuid moving 'u nder thelmethod. just described. It? is substantially similar to that shown in Fig.' 6, except -that the two injectors L' L are directed par- "allel with eachother instead of converging. f

ICO

suitable pressure 'or a high velocity. ln lieu of this thecontent's of each pipe may be under sufficient pressure to be thereby projected into the furnace with the requisite velocity;

hence it is only essential .that the several iiuids shallenter the furnace through suitable blast nozzles o tuyeres.

I t will be u derstood that my apparatus is l not limited in its application to the exact process herein described, nor to the treatment of the substances herein named, it being in fact applicable for the reclaiming of all refractory substances which are in solution or ,mixed with volatile or combustible substances, provided only that the substance to be treated is capable of being conducted or of iiowing or passage to the point where through a pipe To this end it must be in Huid it is injected.

My apparatus may be used in the 'entrac- For `the manufacture'of soda (sodium carinvention is applicable two or IVZO a iinely-comminuted contion by which a new compound is formed, and certain constituents pass off through the furl claim as my invention the several novel features .or improvements in or applicable to apparatus for reclaiming refractory substances from solution or mixture, and other analogous apparatus, defined as follows, substantially as hereinbefore specified, viz:

l. The combination, with a furnace, of an injector entering said furnace, a pipe leading from a source of fuel and entering said injector, a pipe leading from a source of Aliquid to be treated and entering said injector, whereby the combined blast of liquid and fuel is injected into the furnace, and a supplemental injector entering the furnace, with a fuel-pipe leading thereto, whereby a jet of flame is injected into the furnace in position to ignite the blast from the main injector.

2. The combination, with a furnace, of a closed concentrating-,vessel or vacuum-pan y arranged to be heated by the furnace, air-exhausting mechanism for producing a partial vacuum in said concentrator, an outlet-pipe leading from said concentrator, an injector entering the furnace and communicating with said pipe, anda pipe leading from a source of gaseous or vaporous fluid under pressure and entering said injector.

3. The combination, with a furnace, of a concentrating-vessel, an agitator in said vessel, the outlet-pipe from said vessel, and an injector entering the furnace and communicating with said outlet-pipe.

4. The combinatiomwith a furnace, of a concentrating-vessel of circular cross-section, a rotative shaft mounted concentrically in said Vessel, and a scraping or agitating blade mounted on said shaft within said vessel, an 4o outlet-pipe from said vessel, and an injector entering the furnace and with which sald out let-pipe communicates.

5. The combination, with the concentrating- Vessel, of a steam-pump for forcing the liquid under treatment into said vessel, a float. 1n said vessel, a valve in the steam-pipe leading [tofsaid pump, and mechanical connections witnesses. l

HENRY BLACKMAN. Witnesses:

ARTHUR C. FRASER, GEORGE H. FRASER. 

